North Cyprus – TRNC News Today –  20th January 2014

TRNC PRESIDENT EROĞLU: “WE EXPECT A REPORT IN FAVOUR OF US BECAUSE THE GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE IS THE REFUSING SIDE”

President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu made a statement concerning the claims that the deadlock on a joint statement will be forwarded to the UN Security Council by the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus – Alexander Downer and said “the side who is refusing is the Greek Cypriot side, that’s why we expect that a report in favour of us will be written, but I am not sure”.

The President talked about the process and said “We presented a text for a joint statement by taking a step on sovereignty when Mr. Davutoğlu visited TRNC, I can say that this joint statement is adopted by the US Ambassador, High Commissioner and even by Greece, but the Greek Cypriot side presented another text after three days.  We are at that point now. Now we explicitly informed UN authorities that this is the final text, they found us justified because it is a text approved by them”.

Stating that, as a ‘tactic’, the Greek Cypriot side influenced Downer by accusing him of being partial, Eroğlu pointed out that in an attempt to be unbiased Downer has performed an approach in favour of the Greek Cypriots.

KERRY: “FINAL DOCUMENT OF DOWNER IS VERY GOOD, ANASTASIADES SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED”

The US Secretary of State – John Kerry told Greek Foreign Affairs Minister – Evangelos Venizelos that the final document of the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus – Alexander Downer is very good and asked him to encourage the leader of the Greek Cypriot administration – Nikos Anastasiades for progress. This was stated by Greek Cypriot daily Fileleftheros.

The newspaper stated that during his meeting with the Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Evangelos Venizelos, John Kerry demanded that Athens should interfere to Nicosia. Kerry said “Anastasiades should be encouraged for the progress of the procedure” and defended that the final document of Downer is ‘very good’.        

DAVUTOĞLU: ‘PEACE IN CYPRUS IS THE FIRST STEP OF A COMPREHENSIVE PEACE IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN’

 Turkish Foreign Minister – Ahmet Davutoğlu stated ‘Peace to be reached in Cyprus is the first step of a more comprehensive peace in the Eastern Mediterranean. The TRNC is in a different stage at the moment compared to 10 years ago. If your economy is good, you can negotiate well’.

Davutoğlu added that the Water Project which will unite Anatolia with Cyprus permanently will be put into practice.

In his speech made during the 6th. Ambassadors Conference which has been continuing in Mersin, Davutoğlu said that he has held detailed meetings with President Derviş Eroğlu in Ankara and no one has doubt for the goodwill of the Turkish side on the Cyprus issue.

DAVUTOĞLU HAS A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH UN SECRETARY GENERAL

 Turkish Foreign Minister – Ahmet Davutoğlu had a phone conversation with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

According to the information gained from diplomatic sources, the phone conversation was conducted upon the request of the UN Secretary General – Ban Ki Moon and it was demanded to resume the negotiations as soon as possible and the latest developments were evaluated.

Within this framework, Davutoğlu stressed the constructive attitude of the Turkish side and added that UN and International Community should follow a more constructive attitude for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

Moreover, Davutoğlu added that UN Secretary General – Ban Ki Moon expressed his efforts on the issue.

TALAT: “A CALL SHOULD BE MADE TO ANASTASIADES”

 President Mehmet Ali Talat said that a call to meet should be made to the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades and he said that then the joint statement could be prepared in two hours. Indicating that social dinners could not be appropriate for this, Talat said that the Turkish side should make a call to Anastasiades to come to the table in order to prepare the joint statement.

Stressing that Anastasiades is trying to postpone the negotiations and to empower his position through various ways, Talat added that mainly the UK supported this again and said that the UK does this always.

Talat said: “the agreement which changed the status of the British bases signed by the UK with the Greek side is not acceptable. It has not been appropriate to declare problematic expressions together with the Greek side in the joint statement issue which does not concern the UK. I have not deeply examined the case yet. I think that the necessary reaction should be made after the lawyers and the authorities examine the case. According to the Greek Cypriot press the guardian of Turkish Cypriot properties in the British Bases would be the Republic of Cyprus. In other words the British have given the Turkish properties in the British Bases to the Greek side as a present.”

Source: TRNC Public Information Office